System and method for predictive delivery of prioritized content

ABSTRACT

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a server performing operations including receiving a list of media content items; the media content items have a priority order according to a number of communication devices of network subscribers in a region predicted to request the respective media content items and a predicted location of the communication devices. The operations also include monitoring network traffic to predict a period of decreased network load, and scheduling copying of the media content items from a content server to a caching proxy located in the region; the copying is scheduled to be performed during the predicted period of decreased network load and in accordance with the priority order. The operations further include receiving from the caching proxy a report including the media content items stored at the caching proxy and an amount of storage remaining at the caching proxy. Other embodiments are disclosed.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The subject disclosure relates to a system and method for predictivedelivery of prioritized content to both mobile and stationary viewingplatforms. More particularly, the subject disclosure relates to use of acaching proxy for more efficient delivery of on-demand unicast content.

BACKGROUND

Content delivery networks continue to move from multicasting tounicasting (that is, individual delivery of content to each customer ondemand). Network service providers are thus increasingly called upon todeliver content efficiently, at lower cost, and with higher resolution,in a unicast environment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are notnecessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a hub location including acontent server that delivers content to a storage device or cachingproxy located in a neighborhood;

FIG. 2 depicts a illustrative embodiment of a prediction engine forpredicting content needs of users in the neighborhood;

FIG. 3 depicts a illustrative embodiment of a content scheduling serverfor scheduling delivery of content to a local caching proxy;

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a process in which content is deliveredto a user via a caching proxy, in accordance with embodiments of thedisclosure;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are flowcharts schematically illustrating methods used inportions of the system described in FIGS. 1-3;

FIGS. 7-8 depict illustrative embodiments of communication systems thatprovide media services to subscriber neighborhoods as shown in FIGS. 1and 4;

FIG. 9 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a web portal forinteracting with the communication systems of FIGS. 7-8;

FIG. 10 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication device;and

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the form of acomputer system within which a set of instructions, when executed, maycause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods describedherein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject disclosure describes, among other things, illustrativeembodiments for delivering content on a network using a local storagedevice (caching proxy) that receives content from a content server inadvance of user requests for the content; content is proactively copiedto the caching proxy according to a prediction of user content needs sothat it is locally available to the user on demand. Other embodimentsare described in the subject disclosure.

One or more aspects of the subject disclosure include a content server,a content scheduling server, and a local storage device. Using a localstorage device can decrease the overhead associated with moving content,specifically unicast content. In particular, content can be moveddynamically in advance of user requests, and can be moved to a localdistribution point one time rather than multiple times. Content can beprioritized and moved to the local storage device according to adynamically generated schedule; and as content is reprioritized, it canbe removed from the local storage device. By combining user location andviewing history for all of a user's content delivery devices, a systemaccording to the disclosure can obtain a rich understanding of how,when, and where users interact with content, which in turn enablesoff-peak delivery of content through predictive analytics andprioritized scheduling.

One embodiment of the subject disclosure includes a method comprisingpredicting, by a system including a processor, requests for mediacontent from communication devices of network subscribers located in aregion, determining a current location of each of the communicationdevices of the network subscribers, and predicting a future location ofeach of the communication devices of the network subscribers. The methodalso comprises analyzing the predicted requests to determine a priorityorder of media content items according to the communication devices ofthe network subscribers predicted to request the media content items andthe future location of respective items of the subscriber equipment. Themethod also comprises monitoring traffic on the network to predict aperiod of decreased network load, and scheduling copying of the mediacontent items from a content server to a storage device located in theregion; the copying is scheduled to be performed during the predictedperiod of decreased network load and in accordance with the priorityorder. The method further comprises delivering the media content itemsto the storage device according to the scheduling, and receiving arequest for an item of media content from the communication device of anetwork subscriber. The method also comprises determining whether therequested item of media content is available at the storage device, andif so, redirecting the request to the storage device and updating acontent usage database for the region.

One embodiment of the subject disclosure includes a server comprising amemory that stores instructions and a processor coupled to the memory.The processor, responsive to executing the instructions, performsoperations comprising receiving a list of media content items; the mediacontent items have a priority order according to a number ofcommunication devices of network subscribers in a region predicted torequest the respective media content items and a predicted location ofthe communication devices. The operations also comprise monitoringtraffic on the network to predict a period of decreased network load,and scheduling copying of the media content items from a content serverto a caching proxy located in the region; the copying is scheduled to beperformed during the predicted period of decreased network load and inaccordance with the priority order. The operations further comprisereceiving from the caching proxy a report including the media contentitems stored at the caching proxy and an amount of storage remaining atthe caching proxy.

One embodiment of the subject disclosure includes a machine-readablestorage device comprising instructions which, responsive to beingexecuted by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations. Theoperations comprise receiving a list of media content items; the mediacontent items have a priority order according to a number ofcommunication devices of network subscribers in a region predicted torequest the respective media content items and a predicted location ofthe communication devices. The operations also comprise monitoringtraffic on the network to predict a period of decreased network load,and scheduling copying of the media content items from a content serverto a caching proxy located in the region; the copying is scheduled to beperformed during the predicted period of decreased network load and inaccordance with the priority order. The monitoring further comprisesreceiving node utilization information and link utilization informationregarding the network; the traffic on the network comprises addedtraffic due to the copying of the media content items to the cachingproxy.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a system 100 for delivering mediacontent to network subscribers (users), in accordance with an embodimentof the disclosure. A hub location 110 includes a content server 140 fordelivering content 145 to a region (neighborhood) 150, which in generalcan have both residential and mobile subscribers. Hub location 110 andregion 150 are typically geographically separate; a single hub locationcan communicate with several regions. In this embodiment, the content145 is delivered to a storage device (caching proxy) 151 for subsequentdelivery to subscribers via residential gateways 160, 170 located in theregion, and/or via cellular base station 180 located in the region. Asshown in FIG. 1, residential gateways 160, 170 communicate with devices161, 171 respectively to present items of media content to residentialsubscribers; cellular base station 180 communicates with device 181 topresent items of media content to a mobile subscriber. In thisembodiment, the system 100 provides on-demand unicast content to theusers, so that content is delivered individually to each user. Thesystem is not limited to residential applications; accordingly, aneighborhood may be understood as any group of subscribers in a regionserved by the hub location.

On-demand unicast content delivery can use significant bandwidth,particularly as users increasingly demand higher-resolution datastreams. In this embodiment, content can be delivered to theneighborhood efficiently by predicting users' requests for contentitems, and sending those items from the content server 140 to theneighborhood storage device (caching proxy) 151 in advance of therequests. In particular, content can be sent to the caching proxy atscheduled times when network traffic is predicted to be relativelylight. In this embodiment, if a particular item of content is availablein the caching proxy and desired by multiple users in the neighborhood,that item can be obtained from the caching proxy by each user on demandwithout requiring multiple real-time transmissions from the hub location110.

The hub location 110 includes a prediction engine 120 for forecastingthe content the users in the neighborhood are most likely to view in agiven time period (e.g. the next 24 hours). The prediction enginecommunicates with a user viewing history database 121 that stores thecontent viewing records of the users. In this embodiment, the predictionengine 120 also communicates with a user location history database 122that stores historical data on the movements of the users. The contentviewing prediction is aggregated at content scheduling server 130. Thecontent scheduling server prioritizes the highest-probability contentneeds for specific neighborhood locations, and generates a schedule forcopying of content from the content server 140 to the caching proxy 151of the neighborhood. In this embodiment, the content scheduling serverschedules the copying of content based on current network traffic andthe expected additional traffic load due to the copying.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates an arrangement 200 of databasesaccessed and data generated by the prediction engine, in accordance withan embodiment of the disclosure. The prediction engine 120 takes as aninput user historical viewing patterns from the database 121 to build adata model that describes the types of content of interest to the user.The prediction engine also takes as an input user historical locationsfrom the database 122 to build a data model that describes the user'smovement patterns. The prediction engine applies these models togenerate a viewing/location profile 230 for the user that identifiescontent the user is likely to watch, and the time, place, and device atwhich the user is most likely to watch that content. For example, theprofile 230 could indicate that the user watches content on a mobiledevice while at the soccer field on Saturday mornings, and while at thatlocation is less likely to watch a movie and more likely to watchshorter-length content such as a television show or amateur video clips.

The content directory database 240 provides a listing of contentavailable to the user, based on the user's subscriptions to network 100.The prediction engine then assigns a probability to each item ofcontent, based on the likelihood that the user will be interested in thecontent while at likely locations during the upcoming time period (e.g.the next 24 hours). For example, the prediction engine forecasts howmuch time the user will be at the soccer field instead of at home, andassigns probabilities to movies and amateur video clips accordingly. Theprediction engine then generates a user probability list 250 indicatingitems of content, times, locations, and devices for each user. In anembodiment, the user probability list includes a matrix with contentitems prioritized (listed in order of probability), correlated toprobable locations and devices associated with those locations, for anupcoming time period. The user probability list is transmitted to demandcontent database 260, which is accessed by the content scheduling server130.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a system 300 for scheduling delivery ofcontent to local caching proxies, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe disclosure. Demand content database 260 is in communication withcontent scheduling server 130; the demand content database 260 maintainsa prioritized list of content that can be scheduled for delivery tolocations on the network. In this embodiment, the demand contentdatabase maintains a live list (that is, items of content are constantlybeing added, deleted, or moved due to content being re-prioritized) forproactive delivery (that is, items of content are delivered to a cachingproxy in advance of user requests).

The content scheduling server 130 receives node utilization information310 and link utilization information 320 from the network, to monitorlive traffic on the network and to forecast when the network is likelyto experience decreased loads and thus permit efficient advance deliveryof content. The content scheduling server also monitors the amount oftraffic being added to the network by virtue of content deliveries thatload the caching proxies. The content scheduling server determines theavailable bandwidth on the network, and optimizes the advance deliveryof content by using only the currently available bandwidth.

In an embodiment, the content scheduling server prioritizes contentdeliveries based on the number of users likely to benefit from loadingthe content on the caching proxy; the amount of time remaining until thecontent is viewed by the largest predicted audience, and the location ofthe predicted users. The content scheduling server generates a schedulefor content copying by the content server, directing the content serverto transmit copies of content items in priority order to the respectivecaching proxies when bandwidth is available (typically at off-peak timesof the day or week).

In an embodiment, each of the caching proxies (e.g. caching proxies 151,351, 352 in different respective neighborhoods) reports its currentstate to the content scheduling server; this report can include a listof the content currently stored in the caching proxy, and the amount ofstorage remaining. The content scheduling server can manage the storageat each caching proxy by monitoring the available storage and issuing‘delete content’ commands to ensure that storage is available for thehighest-priority content. In an embodiment, a caching proxy can delay orcancel deletion of an item of content, if that item is actively beingviewed by a user.

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a system 400 of network elements forloading a caching proxy and fulfilling a user request for content, inaccordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, theprediction engine 120 transmits the user probability list to the demandcontent database 260, the content scheduling server 130 receives thelive prioritized list of content from the demand content database, andthe content scheduling server directs the content server 140 to copycontent according to the generated schedule (transmissions 401, 402, 403respectively). The content server delivers the content 145 to thecaching proxy 151 of the neighborhood.

When the user (via the residential gateway 160) sends a request 404 tothe content server for an item of content, the content server determineswhether that item has already been delivered to the neighborhood cachingproxy 151. If so, the content server redirects the request to thecaching proxy, and the user obtains the requested item from the cachingproxy. The content server can then send a message 405 to the predictionengine that the content item was requested and delivered to the user;the prediction engine can then update the user viewing historyaccordingly.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are flowcharts depicting illustrative embodiments ofmethods 500, 600 used by the systems shown in FIGS. 1-4 for deliveringcontent and fulfilling content requests using a neighborhood cachingproxy. In step 502, a system executing the prediction engine builds adata model profile for a user that describes the user's preferred typesof content, based on the user's content viewing history. In step 504,the prediction engine builds a data model profile for the user'slocation activity, based on the user's location/movement history. Usingthese model profiles and the list of available content from the contentdirectory 240, the prediction engine determines probability scores forthe items of available content, according to the likelihood that theuser will request a given content item (step 506). The prediction enginethen generates the user probability list for an upcoming period of time(step 508), taking into account the content probability score, theuser's predicted location at various times during the upcoming period,and the device(s) likely to be used to view the content. The userprobability list is then transmitted to the demand content database 260.

The content scheduling server aggregates the predictions for the userslocated in the neighborhood (step 510), based on the user probabilitylists obtained by accessing the demand content database. The contentscheduling server prioritizes the delivery of content items to thecaching proxy (step 512) so that those items most likely to be viewedcan be obtained from the caching proxy. The content scheduling servermonitors live network traffic and added traffic arising from contentdelivery to the caching proxy (step 514), using node utilization andlink utilization information from the network. The content schedulingserver then generates a schedule for content copying from the contentserver to the caching proxy (step 516). The content server delivers thecopies to the caching proxy according to the schedule (step 518).

When the content server receives a request (step 602) for a content itemfrom a user (in this embodiment, a subscriber to an on-demand unicastcontent delivery network), the content server performs a lookupprocedure for the content item. In an embodiment, the content serverqueries the user's neighborhood caching proxy whether the proxy has thecontent item available. In another embodiment, the content serverqueries its own history to determine whether the content item hasalready been delivered to the caching proxy.

If the requested content item is available at the caching proxy (step604), the content server redirects the request for the content item tothe caching proxy (step 606). In an embodiment, the content serverredirects the request automatically, so that the user equipment does notneed to re-send the request message to the caching proxy. In anotherembodiment, the content server informs the user equipment that therequested item is available at the caching proxy, so that the userequipment sends subsequent requests for the same item directly to thecaching proxy. In another embodiment, if a content item previouslydelivered to the caching proxy has been deleted from the caching proxy,the caching proxy sends the user equipment and the content server amessage that the item is no longer available. The content server thensends the content item to the user equipment (step 605) without the userhaving to repeat the request.

If the requested item is available, the caching proxy sends the item tothe user equipment in response to the redirected request (step 608). Thecontent server can send a report of actual content usage to theprediction engine (step 610), to update the user content history. Thecaching proxy can send the content scheduling server a report of itscurrent state, including the content stored at the caching proxy and theamount of storage remaining (step 612). In this embodiment, the cachingproxy is aware of its current content, but does not keep track of itshistory.

FIG. 7 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a first communicationsystem 700 for delivering media content. The communication system 700can represent an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) media system.Communication system 700 can be overlaid or operably coupled withsystems 100-400 of FIGS. 1-4 as another representative embodiment ofcommunication system 700. For instance, one or more devices illustratedin the communication system 700 of FIG. 7 can include a server thatcomprises a memory that stores instructions and a processor coupled tothe memory. The processor, responsive to executing the instructions, canperform operations comprising receiving a list of media content items;the media content items have a priority order according to a number ofnetwork subscribers in a neighborhood predicted to request therespective media content items. The operations can also comprisemonitoring traffic on the network to predict a period of decreasednetwork load, and scheduling copying of the media content items from acontent server to a caching proxy located in the neighborhood; thecopying is scheduled to be performed during the predicted period ofdecreased network load and in accordance with the priority order. Theoperations can further comprise receiving from the caching proxy areport including the media content items stored at the caching proxy andan amount of storage remaining at the caching proxy.

The IPTV media system can include a super head-end office (SHO) 710 withat least one super headend office server (SHS) 711 which receives mediacontent from satellite and/or terrestrial communication systems. In thepresent context, media content can represent, for example, audiocontent, moving image content such as 2D or 3D videos, video games,virtual reality content, still image content, and combinations thereof.The SHS server 711 can forward packets associated with the media contentto one or more video head-end servers (VHS) 714 via a network of videohead-end offices (VHO) 712 according to a multicast communicationprotocol.

The VHS 714 can distribute multimedia broadcast content via an accessnetwork 718 to commercial and/or residential buildings 702 housing agateway 704 (such as a residential or commercial gateway). The accessnetwork 718 can represent a group of digital subscriber line accessmultiplexers (DSLAMs) located in a central office or a service areainterface that provide broadband services over fiber optical links orcopper twisted pairs 719 to buildings 702. The gateway 704 can usecommunication technology to distribute broadcast signals to mediaprocessors 706 such as Set-Top Boxes (STBs) which in turn presentbroadcast channels to media devices 708 such as computers or televisionsets managed in some instances by a media controller 707 (such as aninfrared or RF remote controller).

The gateway 704, the media processors 706, and media devices 708 canutilize tethered communication technologies (such as coaxial, powerlineor phone line wiring) or can operate over a wireless access protocolsuch as Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), Bluetooth®, Zigbee® or other presentor next generation local or personal area wireless network technologies.By way of these interfaces, unicast communications can also be invokedbetween the media processors 706 and subsystems of the IPTV media systemfor services such as video-on-demand (VoD), browsing an electronicprogramming guide (EPG), or other infrastructure services.

A satellite broadcast television system 729 can be used in the mediasystem of FIG. 7. The satellite broadcast television system can beoverlaid, operably coupled with, or replace the IPTV system as anotherrepresentative embodiment of communication system 700. In thisembodiment, signals transmitted by a satellite 715 that include mediacontent can be received by a satellite dish receiver 731 coupled to thebuilding 702. Modulated signals received by the satellite dish receiver731 can be transferred to the media processors 706 for demodulating,decoding, encoding, and/or distributing broadcast channels to the mediadevices 708. The media processors 706 can be equipped with a broadbandport to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) network 732 to enableinteractive services such as VoD and EPG as described above.

In yet another embodiment, an analog or digital cable broadcastdistribution system such as cable TV system 733 can be overlaid,operably coupled with, or replace the IPTV system and/or the satelliteTV system as another representative embodiment of communication system700. In this embodiment, the cable TV system 733 can also provideInternet, telephony, and interactive media services. System 700 enablesvarious types of interactive television and/or services including IPTV,cable and/or satellite.

The subject disclosure can apply to other present or next generationover-the-air and/or landline media content services system.

Some of the network elements of the IPTV media system can be coupled toone or more computing devices 730, a portion of which can operate as aweb server for providing web portal services over the ISP network 732 towireline media devices 708 or wireless communication devices 716.

Communication system 700 can also provide for all or a portion of thecomputing devices 730 to function as a content server, a serverperforming prediction functions, and/or a server performing contentscheduling functions (herein referred to as server 730). The server 730can use computing and communication technology to execute a predictionengine and perform scheduling and copying of content to a local cachingproxy, which can include among other things, the functions describedabove with reference to FIGS. 1-6. For instance, a content schedulingfunction of server 730 can be similar to the functions described forcontent scheduling server 130 of FIGS. 1, 3, and 4 in accordance withmethods 500-600. The media processors 706 and wireless communicationdevices 716 can be provisioned with software functions to utilize theservices of server 730.

Multiple forms of media services can be offered to media devices overlandline technologies such as those described above. Additionally, mediaservices can be offered to media devices by way of a wireless accessbase station 717 operating according to common wireless access protocolssuch as Global System for Mobile or GSM, Code Division Multiple Accessor CDMA, Time Division Multiple Access or TDMA, Universal MobileTelecommunications or UMTS, World interoperability for Microwave orWiMAX, Software Defined Radio or SDR, Long Term Evolution or LTE, and soon. Other present and next generation wide area wireless access networktechnologies can be used in one or more embodiments of the subjectdisclosure. FIG. 8 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communicationsystem 800 employing an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) networkarchitecture to facilitate the combined services of circuit-switched andpacket-switched systems. Communication system 800 can be overlaid oroperably coupled with systems 100-400 of FIGS. 1-4 and communicationsystem 700 as another representative embodiment of communication system700. The system can perform a method comprising predicting, by a systemincluding a processor, requests for media content by network subscriberslocated in a neighborhood, and analyzing the predicted requests todetermine a priority order of media content items according to a numberof network subscribers in the neighborhood predicted to request therespective media content items. The method can also comprise monitoringtraffic on the network to predict a period of decreased network load,and scheduling copying of the media content items from a content serverto a caching proxy located in the neighborhood; the copying is scheduledto be performed during the predicted period of decreased network loadand in accordance with the priority order. The method can furthercomprise delivering the media content items to the caching proxyaccording to the scheduling, and receiving a request for an item ofmedia content from equipment of a network subscriber located in theneighborhood. The method can also comprise determining whether therequested item of media content is available at the caching proxy, andif so, redirecting the request to the caching proxy and updating acontent usage database for the neighborhood.

Communication system 800 can comprise a Home Subscriber Server (HSS)840, a tElephone NUmber Mapping (ENUM) server 830, and other networkelements of an IMS network 850. The IMS network 850 can establishcommunications between IMS-compliant communication devices (CDs) 801,802, Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) CDs 803, 805, andcombinations thereof by way of a Media Gateway Control Function (MGCF)820 coupled to a PSTN network 860. The MGCF 820 need not be used when acommunication session involves IMS CD to IMS CD communications. Acommunication session involving at least one PSTN CD may utilize theMGCF 820.

IMS CDs 801, 802 can register with the IMS network 850 by contacting aProxy Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF) which communicates with aninterrogating CSCF (I-CSCF), which in turn, communicates with a ServingCSCF (S-CSCF) to register the CDs with the HSS 840. To initiate acommunication session between CDs, an originating IMS CD 801 can submita Session Initiation Protocol (SIP INVITE) message to an originatingP-CSCF 804 which communicates with a corresponding originating S-CSCF806. The originating S-CSCF 806 can submit the SIP INVITE message to oneor more application servers (ASs) 817 that can provide a variety ofservices to IMS subscribers.

For example, the application servers 817 can be used to performoriginating call feature treatment functions on the calling party numberreceived by the originating S-CSCF 806 in the SIP INVITE message.Originating treatment functions can include determining whether thecalling party number has international calling services, call IDblocking, calling name blocking, 7-digit dialing, and/or is requestingspecial telephony features (e.g., *72 forward calls, *73 cancel callforwarding, *67 for caller ID blocking, and so on). Based on initialfilter criteria (iFCs) in a subscriber profile associated with a CD, oneor more application servers may be invoked to provide various calloriginating feature services.

Additionally, the originating S-CSCF 806 can submit queries to the ENUMsystem 830 to translate an E.164 telephone number in the SIP INVITEmessage to a SIP Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) if the terminatingcommunication device is IMS-compliant. The SIP URI can be used by anInterrogating CSCF (I-CSCF) 807 to submit a query to the HSS 840 toidentify a terminating S-CSCF 814 associated with a terminating IMS CDsuch as reference 802. Once identified, the I-CSCF 807 can submit theSIP INVITE message to the terminating S-CSCF 814. The terminating S-CSCF814 can then identify a terminating P-CSCF 816 associated with theterminating CD 802. The P-CSCF 816 may then signal the CD 802 toestablish Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication services,thereby enabling the calling and called parties to engage in voiceand/or data communications. Based on the iFCs in the subscriber profile,one or more application servers may be invoked to provide various callterminating feature services, such as call forwarding, do not disturb,music tones, simultaneous ringing, sequential ringing, etc.

In some instances the aforementioned communication process issymmetrical. Accordingly, the terms “originating” and “terminating” inFIG. 8 may be interchangeable. It is further noted that communicationsystem 800 can be adapted to support video conferencing. In addition,communication system 800 can be adapted to provide the IMS CDs 801, 802with the multimedia and Internet services of communication system 700 ofFIG. 7.

If the terminating communication device is instead a PSTN CD such as CD803 or CD 805 (in instances where the cellular phone only supportscircuit-switched voice communications), the ENUM system 830 can respondwith an unsuccessful address resolution which can cause the originatingS-CSCF 806 to forward the call to the MGCF 820 via a Breakout GatewayControl Function (BGCF) 819. The MGCF 820 can then initiate the call tothe terminating PSTN CD over the PSTN network 860 to enable the callingand called parties to engage in voice and/or data communications.

It is further appreciated that the CDs of FIG. 8 can operate as wirelineor wireless devices. For example, the CDs of FIG. 8 can becommunicatively coupled to a cellular base station 821, a femtocell, aWiFi router, a Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) baseunit, or another suitable wireless access unit to establishcommunications with the IMS network 850 of FIG. 8. The cellular accessbase station 821 can operate according to common wireless accessprotocols such as GSM, CDMA, TDMA, UMTS, WiMax, SDR, LTE, and so on.Other present and next generation wireless network technologies can beused by one or more embodiments of the subject disclosure. Accordingly,multiple wireline and wireless communication technologies can be used bythe CDs of FIG. 8.

Cellular phones supporting LTE can support packet-switched voice andpacket-switched data communications and thus may operate asIMS-compliant mobile devices. In this embodiment, the cellular basestation 821 may communicate directly with the IMS network 850 as shownby the arrow connecting the cellular base station 821 and the P-CSCF816.

Alternative forms of a CSCF can operate in a device, system, component,or other form of centralized or distributed hardware and/or software.Indeed, a respective CSCF may be embodied as a respective CSCF systemhaving one or more computers or servers, either centralized ordistributed, where each computer or server may be configured to performor provide, in whole or in part, any method, step, or functionalitydescribed herein in accordance with a respective CSCF. Likewise, otherfunctions, servers and computers described herein, including but notlimited to, the HSS, the ENUM server, the BGCF, and the MGCF, can beembodied in a respective system having one or more computers or servers,either centralized or distributed, where each computer or server may beconfigured to perform or provide, in whole or in part, any method, step,or functionality described herein in accordance with a respectivefunction, server, or computer.

The server 730 of FIG. 7 can be operably coupled to communication system800 for purposes similar to those described above. Server 730 canprovide services to the CDs 801, 802, 803 and 805 of FIG. 8, which canbe adapted with software to utilize the services of the server 730.Server 730 can be an integral part of the application server(s) 817,which can be adapted to the operations of the IMS network 850.

For illustration purposes only, the terms S-CSCF, P-CSCF, I-CSCF, and soon, can be server devices, but may be referred to in the subjectdisclosure without the word “server.” It is also understood that anyform of a CSCF server can operate in a device, system, component, orother form of centralized or distributed hardware and software. It isfurther noted that these terms and other terms such as DIAMETER commandsare terms can include features, methodologies, and/or fields that may bedescribed in whole or in part by standards bodies such as 3^(rd)Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). It is further noted that some orall embodiments of the subject disclosure may in whole or in partmodify, supplement, or otherwise supersede final or proposed standardspublished and promulgated by 3GPP.

FIG. 9 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a web portal 902 of acommunication system 900. Communication system 900 can be overlaid oroperably coupled with systems 100-400 of FIGS. 1-4, communication system700, and/or communication system 800 as another representativeembodiment of systems 100-400, communication system 700, and/orcommunication system 800. The web portal 902 can be used for managingservices of systems 100-400 and communication systems 700-800. A webpage of the web portal 902 can be accessed by a Uniform Resource Locator(URL) with an Internet browser using an Internet-capable communicationdevice such as those described in FIGS. 7-8. The web portal 902 can beconfigured, for example, to access a media processor 706 and servicesmanaged thereby such as a Digital Video Recorder (DVR), a Video onDemand (VoD) catalog, an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG), or apersonal catalog (such as personal videos, pictures, audio recordings,etc.) stored at the media processor 706. The web portal 902 can also beused for provisioning IMS services described earlier, provisioningInternet services, provisioning cellular phone services, and so on.

The web portal 902 can further be utilized to manage and provisionsoftware applications to adapt these applications as may be desired bysubscribers and/or service providers of systems 100-400 of FIGS. 1-4,and communication systems 700-800.

FIG. 10 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication device1000. Communication device 1000 can serve in whole or in part as anillustrative embodiment of the devices depicted in FIGS. 1-4 and FIGS.7-8.

Communication device 1000 can comprise a wireline and/or wirelesstransceiver 1002 (herein transceiver 1002), a user interface (UI) 1004,a power supply 1014, a location receiver 1016, a motion sensor 1018, anorientation sensor 1020, and a controller 1006 for managing operationsthereof. The transceiver 1002 can support short-range or long-rangewireless access technologies such as Bluetooth®, ZigBee®, WiFi, DECT, orcellular communication technologies, just to mention a few (Bluetooth®and ZigBee® are trademarks registered by the Bluetooth® Special InterestGroup and the ZigBee® Alliance, respectively). Cellular technologies caninclude, for example, CDMA-1×, UMTS/HSDPA, GSM/GPRS, TDMA/EDGE, EV/DO,WiMAX, SDR, LTE, as well as other next generation wireless communicationtechnologies as they arise. The transceiver 1002 can also be adapted tosupport circuit-switched wireline access technologies (such as PSTN),packet-switched wireline access technologies (such as TCP/IP, VoIP,etc.), and combinations thereof.

The UI 1004 can include a depressible or touch-sensitive keypad 1008with a navigation mechanism such as a roller ball, a joystick, a mouse,or a navigation disk for manipulating operations of the communicationdevice 1000. The keypad 1008 can be an integral part of a housingassembly of the communication device 1000 or an independent deviceoperably coupled thereto by a tethered wireline interface (such as a USBcable) or a wireless interface supporting for example Bluetooth®. Thekeypad 1008 can represent a numeric keypad commonly used by phones,and/or a QWERTY keypad with alphanumeric keys. The UI 1004 can furtherinclude a display 1010 such as monochrome or color LCD (Liquid CrystalDisplay), OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) or other suitable displaytechnology for conveying images to an end user of the communicationdevice 1000. In an embodiment where the display 1010 is touch-sensitive,a portion or all of the keypad 1008 can be presented by way of thedisplay 1010 with navigation features.

The display 1010 can use touch screen technology to also serve as a userinterface for detecting user input. As a touch screen display, thecommunication device 1000 can be adapted to present a user interfacewith graphical user interface (GUI) elements that can be selected by auser with a touch of a finger. The touch screen display 1010 can beequipped with capacitive, resistive or other forms of sensing technologyto detect how much surface area of a user's finger has been placed on aportion of the touch screen display. This sensing information can beused to control the manipulation of the GUI elements or other functionsof the user interface. The display 1010 can be an integral part of thehousing assembly of the communication device 1000 or an independentdevice communicatively coupled thereto by a tethered wireline interface(such as a cable) or a wireless interface.

The UI 1004 can also include an audio system 1012 that utilizes audiotechnology for conveying low volume audio (such as audio heard inproximity of a human ear) and high volume audio (such as speakerphonefor hands free operation). The audio system 1012 can further include amicrophone for receiving audible signals of an end user. The audiosystem 1012 can also be used for voice recognition applications. The UI1004 can further include an image sensor 1013 such as a charged coupleddevice (CCD) camera for capturing still or moving images.

The power supply 1014 can utilize common power management technologiessuch as replaceable and rechargeable batteries, supply regulationtechnologies, and/or charging system technologies for supplying energyto the components of the communication device 1000 to facilitatelong-range or short-range portable applications. Alternatively, or incombination, the charging system can utilize external power sources suchas DC power supplied over a physical interface such as a USB port orother suitable tethering technologies.

The location receiver 1016 can utilize location technology such as aglobal positioning system (GPS) receiver capable of assisted GPS foridentifying a location of the communication device 1000 based on signalsgenerated by a constellation of GPS satellites, which can be used forfacilitating location services such as navigation. The motion sensor1018 can utilize motion sensing technology such as an accelerometer, agyroscope, or other suitable motion sensing technology to detect motionof the communication device 1000 in three-dimensional space. Theorientation sensor 1020 can utilize orientation sensing technology suchas a magnetometer to detect the orientation of the communication device1000 (north, south, west, and east, as well as combined orientations indegrees, minutes, or other suitable orientation metrics).

The communication device 1000 can use the transceiver 1002 to alsodetermine a proximity to a cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth®, or other wirelessaccess points by sensing techniques such as utilizing a received signalstrength indicator (RSSI) and/or signal time of arrival (TOA) or time offlight (TOF) measurements. The controller 1006 can utilize computingtechnologies such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP),programmable gate arrays, application specific integrated circuits,and/or a video processor with associated storage memory such as Flash,ROM, RAM, SRAM, DRAM or other storage technologies for executingcomputer instructions, controlling, and processing data supplied by theaforementioned components of the communication device 1000.

Other components not shown in FIG. 10 can be used in one or moreembodiments of the subject disclosure. For instance, the communicationdevice 1000 can include a reset button (not shown). The reset button canbe used to reset the controller 1006 of the communication device 1000.In yet another embodiment, the communication device 1000 can alsoinclude a factory default setting button positioned, for example, belowa small hole in a housing assembly of the communication device 1000 toforce the communication device 1000 to re-establish factory settings. Inthis embodiment, a user can use a protruding object such as a pen orpaper clip tip to reach into the hole and depress the default settingbutton. The communication device 1000 can also include a slot for addingor removing an identity module such as a Subscriber Identity Module(SIM) card. SIM cards can be used for identifying subscriber services,executing programs, storing subscriber data, and so forth.

The communication device 1000 as described herein can operate with moreor less of the circuit components shown in FIG. 10. These variantembodiments can be used in one or more embodiments of the subjectdisclosure.

The communication device 1000 can be adapted to perform the functions ofdevices of FIGS. 1-4, the media processor 706, the media devices 708, orthe portable communication devices 716 of FIG. 7, as well as the IMS CDs801-802 and PSTN CDs 803-805 of FIG. 8. It will be appreciated that thecommunication device 1000 can also represent other devices that canoperate in the systems of FIGS. 1-4, and communication systems 700-800of FIGS. 7-8 such as a gaming console and a media player.

Upon reviewing the aforementioned embodiments, it would be evident to anartisan with ordinary skill in the art that said embodiments can bemodified, reduced, or enhanced without departing from the scope of theclaims described below. For example, in one embodiment the userprobability list 250 can be copied to a server located in theneighborhood, and that server can perform some of the functions of thecontent scheduling server. In an embodiment, the neighborhood server canprepare a schedule of content deliveries required by subscribers in theneighborhood, and “pull” the required content from the content server140 at an appropriate time (as opposed to a “push” of content by thecontent server to the neighborhood) and store that content in a localstorage device. In an embodiment, a unit of subscriber equipment (e.g. amedia processor) can function as a neighborhood server. Otherembodiments can be used in the subject disclosure.

It should be understood that devices described in the exemplaryembodiments can be in communication with each other via various wirelessand/or wired methodologies. The methodologies can be links that aredescribed as coupled, connected and so forth, which can includeunidirectional and/or bidirectional communication over wireless pathsand/or wired paths that utilize one or more of various protocols ormethodologies, where the coupling and/or connection can be direct (e.g.,no intervening processing device) and/or indirect (e.g., an intermediaryprocessing device such as a router).

FIG. 11 depicts an exemplary diagrammatic representation of a machine inthe form of a computer system 1100 within which a set of instructions,when executed, may cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethods described above. One or more instances of the machine canoperate, for example, as the server 730, the media processor 706, thelocal caching proxy 151, and other devices of FIGS. 1-4. In someembodiments, the machine may be connected (e.g., using a network 1126)to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine may operate inthe capacity of a server or a client user machine in a server-clientuser network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (ordistributed) network environment.

The machine may comprise a server computer, a client user computer, apersonal computer (PC), a tablet, a smart phone, a laptop computer, adesktop computer, a control system, a network router, switch or bridge,or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential orotherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. It will beunderstood that a communication device of the subject disclosureincludes broadly any electronic device that provides voice, video ordata communication. Further, while a single machine is illustrated, theterm “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machinesthat individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) ofinstructions to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein.

The computer system 1100 may include a processor (or controller) 1102(e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)), a graphics processing unit(GPU, or both), a main memory 1104 and a static memory 1106, whichcommunicate with each other via a bus 1108. The computer system 1100 mayfurther include a display unit 1110 (e.g., a liquid crystal display(LCD), a flat panel, or a solid state display). The computer system 1100may include an input device 1112 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor controldevice 1114 (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit 1116, a signal generationdevice 1118 (e.g., a speaker or remote control) and a network interfacedevice 1120. In distributed environments, the embodiments described inthe subject disclosure can be adapted to utilize multiple display units1110 controlled by two or more computer systems 1100. In thisconfiguration, presentations described by the subject disclosure may inpart be shown in a first of the display units 1110, while the remainingportion is presented in a second of the display units 1110.

The disk drive unit 1116 may include a tangible computer-readablestorage medium 1122 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions(e.g., software 1124) embodying any one or more of the methods orfunctions described herein, including those methods illustrated above.The instructions 1124 may also reside, completely or at least partially,within the main memory 1104, the static memory 1106, and/or within theprocessor 1102 during execution thereof by the computer system 1100. Themain memory 1104 and the processor 1102 also may constitute tangiblecomputer-readable storage media.

Dedicated hardware implementations including, but not limited to,application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays andother hardware devices can likewise be constructed to implement themethods described herein. Application specific integrated circuits andprogrammable logic array can use downloadable instructions for executingstate machines and/or circuit configurations to implement embodiments ofthe subject disclosure. Applications that may include the apparatus andsystems of various embodiments broadly include a variety of electronicand computer systems. Some embodiments implement functions in two ormore specific interconnected hardware modules or devices with relatedcontrol and data signals communicated between and through the modules,or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit. Thus, theexample system is applicable to software, firmware, and hardwareimplementations.

In accordance with various embodiments of the subject disclosure, theoperations or methods described herein are intended for operation assoftware programs or instructions running on or executed by a computerprocessor or other computing device, and which may include other formsof instructions manifested as a state machine implemented with logiccomponents in an application specific integrated circuit or fieldprogrammable gate array. Furthermore, software implementations (e.g.,software programs, instructions, etc.) including, but not limited to,distributed processing or component/object distributed processing,parallel processing, or virtual machine processing can also beconstructed to implement the methods described herein. It is furthernoted that a computing device such as a processor, a controller, a statemachine or other suitable device for executing instructions to performoperations or methods may perform such operations directly or indirectlyby way of one or more intermediate devices directed by the computingdevice.

While the tangible computer-readable storage medium 1122 is shown in anexample embodiment to be a single medium, the term “tangiblecomputer-readable storage medium” should be taken to include a singlemedium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database,and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets ofinstructions. The term “tangible computer-readable storage medium” shallalso be taken to include any non-transitory medium that is capable ofstoring or encoding a set of instructions for execution by the machineand that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods ofthe subject disclosure. The term “non-transitory” as in a non-transitorycomputer-readable storage includes without limitation memories, drives,devices and anything tangible but not a signal per se.

The term “tangible computer-readable storage medium” shall accordinglybe taken to include, but not be limited to: solid-state memories such asa memory card or other package that houses one or more read-only(non-volatile) memories, random access memories, or other re-writable(volatile) memories, a magneto-optical or optical medium such as a diskor tape, or other tangible media which can be used to store information.Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include any one or more ofa tangible computer-readable storage medium, as listed herein andincluding art-recognized equivalents and successor media, in which thesoftware implementations herein are stored.

Although the present specification describes components and functionsimplemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standardsand protocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards andprotocols. Each of the standards for Internet and other packet switchednetwork transmission (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTML, HTTP) representexamples of the state of the art. Such standards are from time-to-timesuperseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentiallythe same functions. Wireless standards for device detection (e.g.,RFID), short-range communications (e.g., Bluetooth®, WiFi, Zigbee®), andlong-range communications (e.g., WiMAX, GSM, CDMA, LTE) can be used bycomputer system 1100.

The illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended toprovide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments,and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all theelements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use ofthe structures described herein. Many other embodiments will be apparentto those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Theexemplary embodiments can include combinations of features and/or stepsfrom multiple embodiments. Other embodiments may be utilized and derivedtherefrom, such that structural and logical substitutions and changesmay be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Figuresare also merely representational and may not be drawn to scale. Certainproportions thereof may be exaggerated, while others may be minimized.Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement which achieves thesame or similar purpose may be substituted for the embodiments describedor shown by the subject disclosure. The subject disclosure is intendedto cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments.Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments notspecifically described herein, can be used in the subject disclosure.For instance, one or more features from one or more embodiments can becombined with one or more features of one or more other embodiments. Inone or more embodiments, features that are positively recited can alsobe negatively recited and excluded from the embodiment with or withoutreplacement by another structural and/or functional feature. The stepsor functions described with respect to the embodiments of the subjectdisclosure can be performed in any order. The steps or functionsdescribed with respect to the embodiments of the subject disclosure canbe performed alone or in combination with other steps or functions ofthe subject disclosure, as well as from other embodiments or from othersteps that have not been described in the subject disclosure. Further,more than or less than all of the features described with respect to anembodiment can also be utilized.

Less than all of the steps or functions described with respect to theexemplary processes or methods can also be performed in one or more ofthe exemplary embodiments. Further, the use of numerical terms todescribe a device, component, step or function, such as first, second,third, and so forth, is not intended to describe an order or functionunless expressly stated so. The use of the terms first, second, thirdand so forth, is generally to distinguish between devices, components,steps or functions unless expressly stated otherwise. Additionally, oneor more devices or components described with respect to the exemplaryembodiments can facilitate one or more functions, where the facilitating(e.g., facilitating access or facilitating establishing a connection)can include less than every step needed to perform the function or caninclude all of the steps needed to perform the function.

In one or more embodiments, a processor (which can include a controlleror circuit) has been described that performs various functions. Itshould be understood that the processor can be multiple processors,which can include distributed processors or parallel processors in asingle machine or multiple machines. The processor can be used insupporting a virtual processing environment. The virtual processingenvironment may support one or more virtual machines representingcomputers, servers, or other computing devices. In such virtualmachines, components such as microprocessors and storage devices may bevirtualized or logically represented. The processor can include a statemachine, application specific integrated circuit, and/or programmablegate array including a Field PGA. In one or more embodiments, when aprocessor executes instructions to perform “operations”, this caninclude the processor performing the operations directly and/orfacilitating, directing, or cooperating with another device or componentto perform the operations.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided with the understanding thatit will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of theclaims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can beseen that various features are grouped together in a single embodimentfor the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method ofdisclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that theclaimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited ineach claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subjectmatter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment.Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the DetailedDescription, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimedsubject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: predicting, by a processingsystem including a processor, subscriber demand for media content fromcommunication devices of network subscribers located in a region,thereby generating a plurality of request predictions; determining, bythe processing system, a current location of each of the communicationdevices of the network subscribers; predicting, by the processingsystem, a future location of each of the communication devices of thenetwork subscribers during a predetermined future time period;aggregating, by the processing system, the request predictions to obtaina content request prediction for the region, the content requestprediction comprising a list of media content items; analyzing, by theprocessing system, the content request prediction to determine apriority order for the media content items according to a number of thecommunication devices of the network subscribers predicted to requestthe media content items, the number corresponding to a predictedaudience, and the predicted future location of the communication devicesof the network subscribers, each of the media content items having apriority correlated to the predicted future location in the region forthe predetermined future time period, the priority based on a likelihoodof a first request from a first communication device for that mediacontent item while at the predicted future location during thepredetermined future time period and on a time remaining until a time ofa largest predicted audience; monitoring, by the processing system,traffic, and added traffic due to copying of media content items to astorage device on a network used by the network subscribers to predict aperiod of decreased network load, the monitoring performed using nodeutilization information and link utilization information from thenetwork; scheduling, by the processing system, copying of the mediacontent items from a content server to the storage device located in theregion, wherein the copying is scheduled to be performed during thepredicted period of decreased network load and in accordance with thepriority order; copying, by the processing system, the media contentitems to the storage device according to the scheduling, wherein themedia content items are copied in a time sequence corresponding to thepriority order, the media content items thereby being delivered to asame location in the region; receiving, by the processing system, asecond request for an item of media content from a second communicationdevice of a network subscriber of the network subscribers; determining,by the processing system, whether the item of media content requested isavailable at the storage device; and responsive to determining that theitem of media content requested is available at the storage device:redirecting, by the processing system, the request to the storagedevice, and updating, by the processing system, a content usage databasefor the region.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering,by the processing system, a portion of the media content items to afirst device at the current location and to a second device at thepredicted future location.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein predictingthe future location further comprises accessing, by the processingsystem, a database of past locations of the communication device of thenetwork subscriber.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage devicecomprises a caching proxy, and wherein the region has a residentialgateway located therein, the residential gateway communicating with thecaching proxy and with the communication device of the networksubscriber.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the region has a basestation located therein, the base station communicating with the storagedevice and with the communication device of the network subscriber. 6.The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises a unicast contentdelivery network for delivering content to each of the networksubscribers on demand.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein thecommunication device of the network subscriber comprises a mobilecommunication device.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the predictingthe requests for media content further comprises: generating a firstdata model profile for a network subscriber based on historical contentusage by the network subscriber; generating a second data model profilefor the network subscriber based on historical location data of thenetwork subscriber; obtaining a list of content items; and assigning toeach content item a request probability with respect to the networksubscriber, based on the first data model profile and the second datamodel profile.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second data modelprofile comprises information regarding equipment used by the networksubscriber at a given location.
 10. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: receiving, by the processing system, from the storage devicea report including the content stored at the storage device and anamount of storage remaining at the storage device; and transmitting, bythe processing system in response to the report, a command to thestorage device to delete an item of content.
 11. The method of claim 1,wherein the storage device comprises a service area interface (SAI). 12.A device comprising: a processing system including a processor; and amemory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by theprocessing system, facilitate performance of operations comprising:receiving a list of media content items corresponding to a contentrequest prediction for a region including a plurality of networksubscribers, the content request prediction obtained by aggregatingpredictions of media content requests from communication devices of thenetwork subscribers, the media content items having a priority orderaccording to a number of the communication devices predicted to requestthe respective media content items, the number corresponding to apredicted audience, and a predicted location of the communicationdevices during a predetermined future time period, each of the mediacontent items having a priority correlated to the predicted location inthe region for the predetermined future time period, the priority basedon a likelihood of a request from a communication device for that mediacontent item while at the predicted location during the predeterminedfuture time period and on a time remaining until a time of a largestpredicted audience; monitoring traffic and added traffic due to copyingof media content items to a network element on a network used by thenetwork subscribers to determine a period of decreased network load, themonitoring performed using node utilization information and linkutilization information from the network; scheduling copying of themedia content items from a content server to the network element locatedin the region, wherein the copying is scheduled to be performed duringthe period of decreased network load and in accordance with the priorityorder; copying the media content items to the network element inaccordance with the scheduling, wherein the media content items arecopied in a time sequence corresponding to the priority order, the mediacontent items thereby being provided to a same location in the region;and receiving from the network element a report including an amount ofstorage remaining at the network element.
 13. The server of claim 12,wherein the network element comprises a storage device.
 14. The serverof claim 12, wherein the network element comprises a caching proxy, andwherein the report includes the media content items stored at thecaching proxy.
 15. The server of claim 12, wherein the network comprisesa unicast content delivery network for delivering content to each of thenetwork subscribers on demand.
 16. The server of claim 12, wherein themonitoring further comprises determining a currently available bandwidthfor copying of the media content items, and wherein the schedulingfurther comprises optimizing the copying of the media content items inaccordance with the currently available bandwidth.
 17. A non-transitorymachine-readable medium comprising executable instructions that, whenexecuted by a processing system including a processor, facilitateperformance of operations comprising: receiving a list of media contentitems corresponding to a content request prediction for a regionincluding a plurality of network subscribers, the content requestprediction obtained by aggregating predictions of media content requestsfrom communication devices of the network subscribers, the media contentitems having a priority order according to a number of the communicationdevices predicted to request the respective media content items, thenumber corresponding to a predicted audience, and a predicted locationof the communication devices during a predetermined future time period,each of the media content items having a priority correlated to thepredicted location in the region for the predetermined time period, thepriority based on a likelihood of a request from a communication devicefor that media content item while at the predicted location during thepredetermined future time period and on a time remaining until a time ofa largest predicted audience; monitoring traffic and added traffic dueto copying of media content items to a storage device on a network usedby the network subscribers to identify a period of decreased networkload, the monitoring performed using node utilization information andlink utilization information from the network; scheduling copying of themedia content items from a content server to the storage device locatedin the region, wherein the copying is scheduled to be performed duringthe period of decreased network load and in accordance with the priorityorder; and copying the media content items to the storage device inaccordance with the scheduling, wherein the media content items arecopied in a time sequence corresponding to the priority order, the mediacontent items thereby being provided to a same location in the region.18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein theoperations further comprise: receiving from the storage device a reportincluding an amount of storage remaining at the storage device; andtransmitting, in response to the report, a command to the storage deviceto delete an item of content.
 19. The non-transitory machine-readablemedium of claim 17, wherein the region has a base station locatedtherein, the base station communicating with the storage device and withthe communication device of the network subscriber.
 20. Thenon-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the storagedevice comprises a caching proxy.